Method for containing and sealing an oil leak

ABSTRACT

The present invention pertains to a method for containing and sealing an underwater oil leak comprising the steps of: (a) providing a quantity of particulate positioned on a platform located at a surface of the water; (b) providing a conduit having an inlet positioned on the platform and an outlet positioned near the oil leak; (c) delivering the particulate through the conduit to the oil leak; (d) depositing the particulate atop the oil leak; and (e) compacting the particulate over the oil leak. The platform can comprise a boat, a rig, or any other suitable structure. Likewise, the particulate can comprise a metal and/or a malleable material, and preferably comprises lead.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 61/393,231, which was filed on Oct. 14, 2010, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention pertains to a method for containing and sealing an oil leak. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a method for containing and sealing an oil leak underwater.

2. Description of the Prior Art

For many years the prior art has struggled against the immense and burdensome problem of sealing underwater oil leaks. It has long been known that such leaks waste valuable quantities of oil and/or gas, and are costly in terms of driving up oil costs and damaging industries such as tourism and fishing. The oil also causes huge ecological problems to the environment, including the seawater, fouling of beaches, fire, wildlife, etc.

The expense of these leaks is staggeringly great, and the cost and danger of trying to cap these deep-sea oil leaks is also very great. Many previous attempts have been relatively unsuccessful.

Great quantities of oil wastage are involved. For example, in the 1979 tragedy of the Mexican oil well leak in the Bay of Campeche, it was reported that the leak was spewing out more than 10,000 barrels of oil daily, and that in less than three months it had dumped over 2 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

One attempt to fix this disaster involved tens of thousands of two-inch balls formed from steel and lead which were forced by a gelatin medium under high pressure into the oil tubing. The hope was that a long-continued stream of eight balls per minute would eventually sufficiently clog the damaged wellhead to the extent that the oil leak would be reduced to a trickle. But after using 80,000 of such balls, the oil was still spewing out in the sea uncontrollably.

In addition to these efforts, reports stated that specially-equipped skimmer boats were being used to try to scoop up the floating oil. That ancillary effect is of course costly and also fraught with significant danger to the skimmer boats and their personnel.

Even though it has long been known of the tremendously great amount of losses, expenses, and other disadvantages of the solutions used in the prior art like well-capping or line-capping attempts, there have not been any improvements which have satisfactorily succeeded or effectively improved upon the prior art.

As a result of not having developed a reliable method for containing an oil leak following the 1979 oil leak, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010 flowed for three months. It was the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry, releasing about 4.9 million barrels of crude oil. The spill caused extensive damage to marine and wildlife habitats as well as the Gulf of Mexico's fishing and tourism industries.

Skimmer ships, floating containment booms, anchored barriers, and sand-filled barricades along shorelines were used in an attempt to protect hundreds of miles of beaches, wetlands, and estuaries from spreading oil. Scientists have also reported immense underwater plumes of dissolved oil that was not yet visible at the surface even months after the leak was fixed.

The first attempts to stop the oil spill were to use remotely operated underwater vehicles to close the blowout preventer valves on the wellhead; however, these attempts failed. The second technique involved placing a 125-ton containment dome over the largest leak and piping the oil to a storage vessel on the surface. This also failed when gas leaking from the pipe combined with cold water to form methane hydrate crystals that blocked the opening at the top of the dome. Another failed attempt involved pumping heavy drilling fluids into the blowout preventer to restrict the flow of oil before sealing it permanently with cement. Explosives were also considered, even including the potential use of a hydrogen bomb.

More successful attempts involved the insertion of a riser into the burst pipe to direct the flowing oil into collection tanks aboard drillships. Although this did not stop the leak, it contained and collected much of the oil at that point. The leak was finally stopped by placing a containment cap on the riser, and then pumping cement into the wellhead to permanently seal the leak.

The Deepwater Horizon spill resulted in the death of tens of thousands of animals, not even including fish. The long-term ecological effects are not yet known because it is uncertain how remaining oil will affect the food chain and breeding grounds of many species, including a number of endangered animals like the Loggerhead turtle and the Leatherback turtle.

The spill also resulted in economic devastation to the area's fishery and tourism industries. Fishing was banned in an area up to 86,000 square miles, resulting in an estimated loss of $2.5 billion. The area's losses in tourism over the following three years were expected to be even significantly higher.

There are many particular aspects which contribute to the immensity and difficulty of containing and sealing these types of oil leaks. For instance, the location of the oil leak is often many fathoms below the sea surface; the oil itself surfaces and spreads out over great areas of the sea, causing much danger and pollution; the seas may be quite dangerous; the undersea visibility is difficult; and so forth.

Considering this background, further reminders of the resulting waste, cost, danger, pollution, and long awareness of the problem seem unnecessary. The problems have been well publicized, and they have repeatedly occurred over many regions of the world for many years. Yet the variety of types of control methods has been generally unsatisfactory and unsuccessful as to many types of these leaks.

A previously patented method for sealing oil leaks was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,860 to Barnett. Barnett discloses a system for containing oil leaks underwater comprising a large flexible sleeve being open and having a lower end which is anchored to the sea floor over the oil leak. The upper end of the sleeve is closed and includes an arrangement of valve tubes which pump off oil and vent gases to receiving equipment on the surface. However, such a device is for the purpose of containing leaking oil and mitigating the potential damage. It does not address the root cause by sealing the leak.

The methods described above can be time consuming or dangerous to perform, and have results which are not certain. Thus, there remains a need for an oil leak containment system which is economical and safe to employ and which provides certain results.

The present invention, as is detailed hereinbelow, seeks to improve upon the existing oil leak containment systems by providing a system which is safe, economical, easy to employ, and which provides certain results.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method for containing and sealing an oil leak which generally comprises:

-   -   (a) providing a quantity of particulate;     -   (b) depositing the quantity of particulate atop the oil leak;         and     -   (c) compacting the quantity of particulate over the oil leak,         wherein the oil leak is stopped.

The present invention can provide wherein the particulate is a dense and malleable material, such as lead.

The present invention may further include wherein the quantity of particulate is deposited atop the oil leak by dropping or releasing it from the surface of the water, such as from a boat, rig, or other suitable structure.

The present invention may also include providing a delivery conduit which extends down into the water and directing the quantity of particulate at the oil leak using the delivery conduit.

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the views in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view of a first embodiment of the present invention hereof; and

FIG. 2 is a view of the present invention showing the optional delivery conduit for directing the quantity of particulate to the oil leak.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In accordance with the present invention, and as shown generally in FIG. 1, there is provided a method for containing and sealing an oil leak which generally comprises: (a) providing a quantity of particulate 10; (b) depositing the quantity of particulate 10 over the oil leak 12; and (c) compacting the quantity of particulate 10 over the oil leak 12, wherein the oil leak 12 is stopped.

The quantity of particulate 10 comprises a plurality of particles of a material which is heavy and malleable. Preferably, the quantity of particulate 10 is also dense. Even more preferably, the quantity of particulate 10 comprises lead. The particulate matter 10 can have particle sizes which are uniform in size or which vary in size. The particle size of the particulate matter 10 can also range in size from very small (e.g., 1 mm in diameter) to sizes having a diameter of 1 inch, 6 inches, or more. The particulate matter 10 can comprise any suitable type of shape as well, being spherical, oblong, cubical, prism, pyramidal, or the like.

It is to be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art that the size and variety of the particle matter 10 will be determined by one having ordinary skill in the art depending upon factors specific to any given oil leak. For example, factors determining the size and variety of the particle matter 10 can include the release rate of the oil from the leak, the size of the leak opening, the water current around the leak site, the depth of the leak site, and so forth.

The method for containing and sealing the oil leak 12 comprises depositing the quantity of particulate 10 over the oil leak 12. The quantity of particulate 10 is positioned on any suitable platform 14 or storage vessel, such as a boat or a rig. The quantity of particulate 10 is deposited by releasing the quantity of particulate 10 into the water at the surface from the platform 14. This step can also involve determining the correct location at the surface from which the quantity of particulate 10 should be released, taking into account factors such as currents and tides.

The present invention also includes compacting the quantity of particulate 10 over the oil leak 12 to stop the flow of oil. Preferably this is accomplished by providing ample amounts of particulate 10 so that the weight of the particulate 10 compacts itself over the oil leak 12. In this regard, the particulate 10 preferably comprises a malleable material. Preferably, the particulate 10 is a metal. Thus, lead is a preferred material. Optionally, machinery can be provided to compact the particulate 10. When machinery is provided, the machinery is preferably remotely controlled for safety purposes. Any suitable machinery for use herewith as selected by one having ordinary skill in the art can be used.

Optionally, the present invention can include the steps of providing a delivery conduit 16 which extends down into the water from the platform 14, and directing the quantity of particulate 10 at the oil leak 12 using the delivery conduit 16. The delivery conduit 16 can comprise a hose or any other suitable structure for delivering the quantity of particulate 10 to the oil leak 12. The delivery conduit 16 has an inlet 18 and an outlet 20 at its respective ends. The inlet 18 is connected to a hopper 22, a pump (not shown), or other suitable structure for delivering the quantity of particulate 10 into the inlet end 18 and through the delivery conduit 16. The size and material-type of the delivery conduit 16 will be dictated by factors including the size of the particle matter 10 and the depth of the oil leak 12, and can be selected by one having ordinary skill in the art. The inlet 18 is preferably located above the surface of the water, such as on the platform 14. The outlet 20 of the delivery conduit 16 can be positioned so that the quantity of particulate 10 exiting the outlet 20 is deposited atop the oil leak 12.

When the delivery conduit 16 is provided, means for positioning 24 the outlet 20 of the delivery conduit 16 are provided. Preferably the means for positioning 24 can be operated remotely out of the water.

It is appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art that the present invention provides a method for containing and sealing an underwater oil leak which is safe, reliable, and economical. The present invention allows personnel repairing the leak to remain safely out of the water. To some degree, the present invention allows much of the personnel attending the repair to even be located remotely at a distance of hundreds of miles from the leak site. As a result of the simplicity of the present invention, there is provided a method for containing an oil leak which is also very reliable. The method is not sophisticated, nor does it require elaborate or expensive machinery or robotics (although these can optionally be used to assist in the method for repair if desired).

It is also to be understood that the present invention provides a method for stopping leaks which can be used not only with oil leaks, but the leak of any other suitable type of liquid as well.

As is apparent from the preceding, the present invention provides a method for containing and sealing an oil leak underwater which is reliable, safe, and economical. 

1. A method for containing and sealing an underwater oil leak comprising: (a) providing a quantity of particulate positioned on a platform located at a surface of the water; (b) depositing the quantity of particulate atop the oil leak; and (c) compacting the quantity of particulate over the oil leak.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the particulate is a metal.
 3. The method of claim 2 further including the steps of: (a) providing a conduit having an inlet positioned on the platform and an outlet positioned near the oil leak; and (b) delivering the particulate matter through the conduit to the oil leak.
 4. The method of claim 2 wherein the platform is on a boat.
 5. The method of claim 2 wherein the platform is on a rig.
 6. The method of claim 2 wherein the particulate comprises lead.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the particulate is a malleable material.
 8. The method of claim 7 further including the steps of: (a) providing a conduit having an inlet positioned on the platform and an outlet positioned near the oil leak; and (b) delivering the particulate matter through the conduit to the oil leak.
 9. The method of claim 7 wherein the platform is on a boat.
 10. The method of claim 7 wherein the particulate comprises lead.
 11. The method of claim 7 wherein the platform is on a rig.
 12. The method of claim 1 wherein the platform is on a boat.
 13. The method of claim 12 further including the steps of: (a) providing a conduit having an inlet positioned on the platform and an outlet positioned near the oil leak; and (b) delivering the particulate matter through the conduit to the oil leak.
 14. The method of claim 1 wherein the platform is on a rig.
 15. The method of claim 14 further including the steps of: (a) providing a conduit having an inlet positioned on the platform and an outlet positioned near the oil leak; and (b) delivering the particulate matter through the conduit to the oil leak.
 16. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of: (a) providing a conduit having an inlet positioned on the platform and an outlet positioned near the oil leak; and (b) delivering the particulate matter through the conduit to the oil leak.
 17. The method of claim 1 wherein the particulate is a metal.
 18. The method of claim 16 wherein the particulate comprises lead.
 19. The method of claim 1 wherein the particulate is a malleable material.
 20. A method for containing and sealing an underwater oil leak comprising: (a) providing a quantity of lead particles positioned on a platform located at a surface of the water; (b) providing a conduit having an inlet positioned on the platform and an outlet positioned near the oil leak; (c) delivering the lead particles through the conduit to the oil leak; (d) depositing the lead particles atop the oil leak; and (e) compacting the lead particles over the oil leak. 